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empreinte. 

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et  de  haut  en  bas,  en  prenant  le  nombre 
d'images  n^cessaire.  Les  diagrammes  suivants 
illustrent  la  m^thode. 


1 

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25th  Congress, 
Sd  Session. 


[  SENATE.  ] 


[251] 


DOCUMENTS 


0*7 


o, 


RELATINO 


To  the  defc?ice  of  the  northeastern  frontier  of  the  United  States. 


February  22,  1839. 

Submilted  by  Mr.  Benton,  to  accompany  Senate  bill  No.  "OC,  and  ordered  to  be  pointed. 


War  Department,  January  7,  1839. 

Sir  :  I  have  had  the  honor  to  receive  your  communication  of  the  2d 
instant,  enclosing  two  resolutions  of  the  Senate,  in  reference  to  the  defence 
of  the  maritime  frontier  of  the  State  of  Maine,  and  requesting  of  this  de- 
partment  such  information  on  the  subject  as  it  may  be  able  to  give. 

In  compliance,  I  have  the  honor  to  transmit  a  report  of  the  Chief  Engi- 
neer, dated  the  4th  instant,  which  contains  all  the  information  possessed  by 
the  department  on  the  subject  of  the  first  part  of  the  resolutions ;  and  in  re- 
gard to  the  second  part,  I  beg  leave  to  refer  to  the  report  of  this  depart- 
ment, of  the  31st  ultimo,  on  the  same  subject,  made  in  compliance  with  the 
resolution  of  the  Senate  of  the  22d  December  last. 

Very  respectfully,  your  most  obedient  servant, 

J.  R.  POINSETT. 
Hon.  Thomas  H.  Benton, 

Chairman  Committee  on  Military  Affairs,  Senate. 


Engineer  Department, 

Washington,  January  4, 1839. 

Sir  :  I  have  the  honor  to  present  the  following  report  on  so  much  of  the 
resolution  of  the  Senate  of  the  28th  ultimo,  this  day  referred  to  this  office, 
QS  relates  to  "  the  expediency  of  constructing  fortifications  or  establishing 
other  defences  at  important  and  exposed  points  on  the  maritime  frontier  of 
the  State  of  Maine,  especially  at  Portland  harbor,  at  the  entrance  of  Ken- 
nebeck  river,  and  at  the  Narrows  of  the  Penobscot  river." 

In  1818  a  board  of  engineers  was  organized  for  the  special  purpose  of 
considering  the  subject  of  the  military  defences  of  the  country ;  and  for 
years  the  board  was  assiduously  employed  either  in  making  a  personal  ex- 
amination of  the  sea  coast,  or  in  devising  the  means  of  defending  its  exposed 
points.  During  this  period  reports  were  made  by  the  board  of  their  views 
on  the  subject,  as  applied  to  the  portions  of  the  coast  coming  successively 
under  examination ;  and  when  the  personal  examination  was  finished,  a 

Blail  &  Rives,  priuters. 


[251] 


I 


le  report,  in  a  form  as  condensed  as  possible,  was  presented  of  the 


sincr 

whole  matter. 

The  report,  made  in  1S20,  may  be  fonnd  in  document  INo.  15J  ot  tlie 
Honse  of  Representatives,  19th  Congress,  1st  session. 

A  reference  to  this  report  will  show  that  the  board  considered  it  necessary 
to  fortify  the  road:<tcd  of  Mount  Desert  island,  the  Narrows  of  the  Penob- 
scot, the  Sheepscot,  the  Kcnnebeck,  Portland  harbor,  and  Portsmouth 
harbor.  In  a  report,  made  in  1S36,  Eastj)ort  and  Machias  are  brought  tor- 
ward  as  places  that  will  need  attention  in  this  way,  ere  long  ;  and  Uastme, 
St.  George's  bay,  Broad  bav,  Damariscotta,  Saco.  Kennchunk.  and  York, 
are  also  enumerated,  as  calling,  more  or  less  urgently,  for  similar  protection. 

Portland,  the  mouth  of  the  Kennebcck,  and  the  Narrows  of  the  Penobscot, 
beino-  positions  of  great  importance,  have  received  much  attention.  The 
harbor  of  Portland  has  been  surveyed,  and  the  principal  defences  carefuhy 
planned:  these  are,  a  new  fort  on  Port  Preble  point,  estimate  !$155,0U0 ; 
and  works  on  House  island,  estimate  $18,1)00.  The  security  ot  Hog  island 
channel  may  cost,  say  ,f  135,000.  ,     ,  ,  .    -.^m      icon  i    . 

A  survey  of  the  mouth  of  the  Kennebcck  was  begun  m  Ibl'J  or  lb.iO,  but 
owing  to  the  assignment  of  the  surveying  officers  to  other  duty,  was  never 

finished.  ^  ,^    ,     r.      ,       .        i 

It  is  many  years  since  the  survey  of  th;^  Narroivs  of  the  Penobscot,  and 
the  plan  of 'tl'ie  proposed  defences,  estimated  cost  ;=?i50,000,  was  handed  in 
to  the  department. 

Portsmouth  harbor,  important  on  many  accounts,  and  ot  the  greater  na- 
tional importance  from  being  the  site  of  a  navy  yard,  lies  partly  m  the  State 
of  iMaine.  This  harbor  deserves  unmediate  attention.  The  survey  begun 
many  years  ago,  was  broken  off  by  calls  to  other  duty  of  the  surveying 
officer,  and  has  never  been  resumed. 

The  fort  at  the  Narrows  of  the  Penobscot,  .a  fort  .it  the  mouth  of  the 
Kennebcck,  Fort  Preble,  in  Portland  harbor,  and  forts  in  Portsmouth  har- 
bor, were  i)laced,  by  the  last  condensed  report  of  the  Board  of  Engineers,  in 
the  class  of  works  first  to  b-  begun,  the  progress  made  since  182G  m  the 
construction  of  the  fortifications  comprised  in  the  original  first  class  having 
advanced  these  works  from  the  second  class. 

This  office  is  unable  to  afford  information  on  the  other  subject  embraced 
in  the  resolution  of  the  Senate. 

All  which  is  respectfully  submitted. 

JOS.  G.  TOTTEN, 
fj.  Colonel  Engineers,  brevet  Colonel,  and  Vk'wf  Engineer. 

Hon.  J.  K.  PoiNSKTT,  Secretary  of  War, 


Wau  Dkpautmknt,  Ft6/vm/7/ 21,  1839. 

Sir:  1  have  the  honor  to  lay  before  the  Committee  on  Military  Afi'airs 
an  extract  of  a  report  of  the  board  of  engineers  on  the  subject  of  the  points 
at  which  the  erection  of  proper  defences,  for  the  frontier  of  the  State  of 
Maine,  is  necessary.  The  department  concurs  in  the  opinions  of  the  board, 
and  respectfully  recommends  an  appropriation  of  the  sum  estimated  by  it, 
$100,000,  for  operations  during  the  present  year;  and  that,  in  conformity 
with  its  suggestion,  it  be  made  unspecified. 

Verv  respectfully,  vour  most  obedient  servant,  '      ' 

^  J.  R.  POINSETT. 

Hen.  T.  H.  Benton, 

Chairman  Committee  on  Military  Affairs^  Senate. 


\ 


HIP 


3 


ted  of  the 

153  of  tlie 

necessary 
[lie  Penob- 
'ortsmontli 
rought  for- 
id  Ortstine, 
and  York, 
protection. 
Penobscot, 
ion.  Tlie 
;s  carefullv 
$155,0UU'; 
lloo;  island 


)rlS20,bnt 
was  never 


obscot,  and 
5  lianded  in 

o-reater  na- 

in  the  State 

rvey  begun 

surveying 

auth  of  the 
mouth  har- 
iigincers,  in 
182G  in  the 
lass  having 

;t  embraced 


'.vssinecr. 


21,  1839. 

tary  Affairs 
)f  the  points 
he  State  of 
)f  the  board, 
mated  by  it, 
I  conformity 


NSETT. 


[251] 


rctary  of 
dated 


Eitracl  from  a  report  of  (he  Board  of  Engineers  to  the  Secret 
War^  on  the  subject  (f  the  defiance  of  the  frontier  of  Maine, 
Ftbruaru  20,  1S39. 

In  the  view  of  the  subject,  there  is  needed — 

1.  A  military  establishment  at  the  junction  of  Dead  river  and  the  Ken- 
neheck. 

2.  A  military  establishment  at  the  junction  of  the  Mattewamkeag  and 
Penol)scot. 

3.  A  military  establishment  at  Calais,  with  collateral  works  at  Eastport. 

4.  A  central  arsenal  at  Bangor. 

5.  A  fort  on  the  Penobscot  opposite  Helfa^.t. 

To  which  arc  to  be  ad. led  advanced  works  as  occasion  may  call  for  them. 

We  must  here  remark  lliat  not  only  is  it  impossible  for  us  to  indicate,  in 
the  jiresent  staie  of  our  knowledge,  the  proper  form  or  magnitude  of  the 
establishmenis  above  enumerated,  but  we  must  insist  on  the  importance  of 
very  careful  and  deliberate  examinations  of  the  ground  before  the  exact 
positions  even  be  determined.  Of  course,  estimates  made  at  this  moment 
cannot  pretend  to  be  more  than  mere  conjectures  of  the  amount  that  may, 
probably,  be  expended  with  judgment  within  the  year.  It  would  be  a  great 
advantage  if  the  sum  allowed  for  these  objects  should  bo  granted  without 
■  apportionment  to  them  severally.  In  that  case  it  is  thought  that  $IU0,()0() 
might  be  applied  during  the  year  to  7nUltary  n-orks  at  the  knad  waters  of 
the  Kennebeck ;  on  the  headwaters  oj  the  Penobscot;  on  the  St.  Croi.v 
river  ;  at  Eastport ;  at  Bangor  ;  and  on  the  Penobscot  opposite  Belfast  ; 
all  in  the  State  of  Maine. 

Under  the  disadvantage  of  not  having  personally  inspected  the  frontiers 
of  Maine,  the  preceding  remarks  are  offered  with  diflideiiro,  not  doubting 
that  actual  examination  and  surveys  may  lead  to  import  uit  laoclitications, 


if  not  radical  changes. 


In  Senate  of  tiik  United  States, 

December  28,  1838. 

On  motion  by  Mr.  Ruggles : 

Resolved,  That  the  Committee  on  Military  Affairs  be  directed  to  con- 
sider and  report  upon  the  expediency  of  constructing  fortifications  or  estab- 
lishino-  other  defences  at  important  and  exposed  points  on  the  maritime 
frontier  of  the  State  of  Maine,  especially  at  Portland  harbor,  at  the  en- 
trance  of  Kennebeck  river,  and  at  Ihu  Narrows  of  Penobscot  river ;  and 
that  they  consider  the  subject  with  reference  to  the  claim  of  that  State  to  an 
equal  and  just  participation  with  the  other  States  of  the  Union  in  the  bene- 
fits  of  the  sytem  of  national  defence  embraced  by  the  constitutional  duties 
of  this  Government,  and  more  especially  with  reference  to  the  existing  con- 
troversy, so  greatly  prolonged,  in  which  the  territorial  rights  of  Maine  are 


involved,  a  large  portion  of  her  territory  having  been  usurped  by  a  foreign 
power,  and  beTng  now  held  in  subjection  thereto  ;  with  leave  lo  report  by 

11  or  otherwise.  •  ,       r 

Resolved,  That  the  same  committee  further  consider,  with  reference  to 
3  same  subject  of  controversy  and  the  right  winch  every  oiute  has,  under 


[  251  ]  4 

the  federal  constitution,  to  protection  for  its  territory  from  foreign  aggres- 
sion, whether  any  and  what  further  provisions  are  necessary  to  be  made  for 
the  greater  security  of  the  inland  frontier  of  Maine,  and  the  staying  of  en- 
croachments ;  with  leave  to  report  as  aforesaid. 

Attest:  ASBURY  DICKINS,  Secretary. 


^    I 


